Sesame Spinach Kale Gomae

Gomae is a Japanese spinach salad that can be served warm or cold. Traditionally the cooked spinach is mixed with sesame paste, soy sauce, and sugar. Some western restaurants use a peanut sauce rather than sesame paste, or a combination of both. The first time I tried gomae at a Japanese restaurant, I was a bit apprehensive. I mean a pile of cooked spinach doesn’t look that appetizing. But with the first bite I knew this dish was going to be a favourite.

When recreating this dish I decided not to add peanut butter so it can be nut free for those with peanut allergies. I used tahini which is simply sesame seeds ground into a creamy spread, but feel free to try subbing a bit of peanut butter, to give it a nice peanut flavour (if no need for a nut free version), either way they’re both creamy! Instead of adding sugar and soy sauce, I used coconut amines, which has a natural sweetness. The miso paste adds additional health benefits, as it contains several essential vitamins and minerals, plus aids in digestion. Miso also adds a nice salty flavour. To make this soy free, sub in chickpea based miso paste instead.

The first time I made gomae, I submerged the spinach in boiling water briefly until it wilted. After seeing how green the water turned I was concerned with the nutrient loss! So next time I decided to ‘steam’ it in a frying pan covered with a lid on low heat. That way the nutrients stay intact. I added some crushed red pepper spice to give it some kick. Also note that it may seem like a lot of spinach and kale at first, but it wilts down to only about a one cup portion.

This spinach kale gomae is a healthy way to consume a bunch of greens that are so creamy and addictively delicious!

Get a large bowl ready filled with ice cold water. This will be used to submerge the wilted spinach and kale to stop the cooking process.

Remove the stems from the kale and roughly chop in bite size pieces.

In a large non stick pan, heat a tablespoon of water on low heat (I set it on ‘2’ on my stovetop).

Add the spinach and kale to the pan and place lid over top to ‘steam’ the greens, stirring frequently so the greens don’t overcook or stick to the pan.

Once the spinach has fully wilted and turned dark green, pour the greens into the bowl of ice cold water. Give it a good stir to cool off.

Pour the greens into a strainer and squeeze as much of the water out as you can. Then place the greens in a bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk the tahini, coconut aminos, miso paste together. Add a tsp of water at a time, only if the sauce is too thick. Then pour the sauce onto the greens and mix well using two forks to fully coat.